Combination surgical air-blast and suction tip



J. B. JENKINS Jan. 15, 1935.

COMBINATION SURGICAL AIR BLAST AND SUCTION TIP original'Filed Nov. 22, 1929 IN VEN TOR Patented Jan. 15, 1935 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION SURGICAL AIR-BLAST AND SUCTION TIP Joseph B. Jenkins, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application November 22, 1929, Serial No. 409,114 Renewed July 16, 1934 3 Claims.

My invention relates to instruments for and method of obtaining and maintaining sterility and visibility in operative wounds.

The objects of my invention are to provide a 5` device and method which are new, novel, practical, and of utility; ran instrument which will be particularly adaptable and useful to the art of oral surgery; which may be used as well in other branches of surgery; which will carry away from l the wound any blood, saliva and the like; the air-blast of which will drive such blood or saliva from the operative eld; which will provide an operative iield of clear visibility; which will aid in keeping the wound sterile by eliminating the l use of swabs; which keeps the operative eld cool when using drills, without contamination by a circulating liquid; which may be inserted in small operative apertures such as bony tooth sockets and the like, not accessible when using swabs, Sponges and the like; which will shorten the time usually necessary for an operation; which will be positive in action; which will be simple and handy in operation; which will be durable; which may be easily sterilized; which will hasten the healing of an operative wound by eliminating the necessity of introducing any liquid or other foreign element into the wound; which will be eilicient in accomplishing all of the purposes for which it is intended.

In the art of surgery, particularly oral surgery, great difliculty is encountered in obtaining a sterile operative field of clear visibility. The operator is usually hindered and delayed by the frequent swabbing of the operative wound. Some attempt at eliminating this difliculty by resort to constant circulation of an antiseptic solution has been made. This circulation has not been found satisfactory in that the circulatory liquid obstructs visibility.

It is known to those familiar with the art that an operative wound will mend and heal much more quickly when the operation has been made quickly and without permitting the introduction of a foreign element, regardless of its sterile quality. It is an accepted fact that any antiseptic is to some extent injurious to raw tissue.

My method and instrument overcame the above set forth difficulties, as Well as accomplishing other new and novel results.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illus- (Cl. 12S-297) trated in the accompanying one-sheet drawing, of which,

Figure 1 is a partial sectional view of the device connected to an air-blast and a suction line; and 5 Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the air blast tube upon the air blast control mechanism.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in the l0 form, proportion, size, shape, weight and other details of construction, within the scope of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or broad principle of my invention and without sacrificing any of the advan- 15 tages thereof; and it is also understood that the drawing is to be interpreted as being illustrative and not restrictive.

One practical embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawing comprises:

A hollow metal air-blast tube 1, having an annular exterior groove 2 for connection in a usual manner to a usual air blast nozzle 3. Said nozzle 3 has a valve therein which is released by thumb pressure on a knob 4. Said valve 3 25 is connected to an air hose 5 leading from a compressed air tank or the like, not shown.

A hollow metal suction tube 6 is rigidly attached to the lower side of said tube 1 by brazing7 soldering or the like as shown at 7 and 30 8. Said tube 6 has a downstanding hollow handle 9 adapted at 10 to connect a suction hose l1. Said hose l1 is to be connected at its other end, not shown, to any known device for providing a suction, such as a common water jet. 35

Said tube 6 is provided with a removable tip l2 at its free end. Said tip 12 has a plurality of perforations 13 through its rounded end 14, and is threadedly received by said tube 6. It will be seen that the periphery of said tube 6 and said 40 tip .l2 are identical, thus making a smooth joint.

It is my intention to provide tips 12 of varying lengths and sizes to accommodate varying types and sizes of operative wounds.

In operation, the said handle 9 and the barrel 4 5 of said valve 3, form a substantial hand hold for the manipulation and operation of the device. The lengths of said tubes 1 and 6 are sulcient for a nurse or helper to the operating surgeon to reach the operative wound or socket with Said tip 12 without his hands obstructing the View of, or otherwise hindering the activity of the operating Surgeon. The curves of said tubes 1 and 6 also assist in placing the assistant's hands out of the operators way. It may be found desirable to provide a lateral bend in said tubes 1 and 6 in order to further expedite the handy operation of the instrument.

The rounded end 14 of tip 12 prevents injury to the exposed tissues of the wound, at the same time permitting blood, saliva and the like to be drawn oi through said tube 6.

The open and 15 of said tube l is sufciently near Sd tip 12 to permit the air being 'exhausted therethrough, to drive the blood or saliva from the immediate operative field.

It will readily be seen by those familiar with the art, that my device will provide a sterile, visible operative eld.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of -embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described herein, and applicable for the uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all such modicattrimm `and adaptations band `other uses eof the form of the device other than as herein described yas fairly fall 'within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed 4and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l1. A surgical instrument, having in combination, two hollow metal ytubes yrigidly :attached together one labove Ithe yother with the 'axes of their Atips substantially parallel, vthe lower tube adaptedat one end to attach a suction hose Vits otherend tree for insertion within a wound, the

upper tube adapted at one end to attach a valve controlled air-blast line, the other end of said tube free, a removable round ended tip connecting the free end of said lower tube and extending past the free end of said upper tube, said extending tip having a plurality of small intake perforations, said tubes having a modified reverse curve adjacent their free end portions for permitting operation of the instrument by an assistant during a surgical operation.

A2. A surgical instrument, embodying two hollow rigid tubes attached rigidly together one above fthe other with the axes of their tips substantially parallel, the lower of said tubes adapted to be attached to a suction line, and

substantially parallel, fone Aof said tubes extending slightly lpast the tip of 'the Aother Vand having a rounded `plurally ,perforated :'free Aend portion Afor insertion in a wound, the 'extreme end 'of said :portion ybeing imperforate, a suction line, one tube attached Vto said suction line, `and an :air-blast line, the other 'tube attached to lsaid l air-blast line.

JOSEPH B. lJENKINS. 

